Paper-lifting device.



G. E. STEERB. PAPER LIFTIN'G DEVICE. APPLIOATIOI. nun 2112.15, 1909.

3 SHBETH-BHEET 1.

f A ttor-n ey Patented June 17, 1913.

C. E. STBERE. PAPER LIFTING DEVICE, APPLICATION FILED mm. 15, 1909,

1,065,085, Patented June $7, 1913.

Witness.

Attorney G. E. STEERE.

PAPERLIFTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED 1 1213.15, 1909.

Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETS" 3 Inventor @Zww u Jig/7V y Attorngg CARL WOLFERMANN. OF NEWYORK, N. Y

FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 17,1913.

Application filed August 7. 1912. Serial 1N0. 713.788.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAR'L WOLFERMANN, a subject of the Emperor ofGermany, and resident of the boron 'h of Manhattan, city, county andState New York, have invented ceftain new and useful Improvements inFolding Tops for Vehicles, of which the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to folding tops for vehicles and more particularlyfor automobiles and has for its object to improve and simplify theconstruction thereof and to provide a top which may be readily foldedinto a compact condition when desired and l which at any time may beeasily brought to an unfolded and operative position tog cover thevehicle.

A further object of iny improvement is to constructthe top so that inits operative E or unfolded position it will extend over sub 4stantially the entire body of the vehicle without interfering with theingress to or egress therefrom and will be rigidly su ported in saidoperative or unfolded con ition.

My invention further contemplates constructinf the top in such a mannerthat any shrinkage or stretching of the material forming part of the topwill be automatically compensated for so that the extended position ofthe top will always be substan tially the same and sag'ing or otherdisarrang'ement thereof Wil be prevented.

Other objects of my improvement will be fully disclosed hereinafter andthe features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

r Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile with my improved topapplied thereto and showing said top in its i operative or extendedposition, the covering 1 mate ial being shown in section and Fig. 2

i is a similar View showing the top l! its folded or inoperativeposition.

In the drawings 1 represents a portion of the body of a vehicle of anysuitable dei seription. as for instance an automobile for carryingpassenger's. which in this case is provided with front doors 2 and reardoors in the usual manner. As illustrated in improved top comprises-:1main or'rear sec tion consisting (if ti main bmi'A arched over I thebody when the top is extended or oni folded and having its opposite freeends i 1 said cover also prefera pivotally connected with said body at5, the

said pivots 5 being preferably located at points between the rear doors3 and the rear end of the vehicle. The said main or rear section furthercomprises additional bows 6 and 7 pivotally connected with the main how4 at 8 and 9 respectively, and extending rearwardly therefrom in theunfolded position of the top. the how 6 being somewhat longer than thehow 7 as shown best in Fig. l. A cover 10 of fabric or any suitablematerial, preferably waterproof. is attached to the bows 4, 6 and 7 soas to extend over the free ends thereof and has its one free ed esuitably secured to the vehicle body at the rear end thereof. it beinffunderstood that y extends downwardly over the sides of said bows in anycustomary manner. hen in its unfolded or extended condition as shown inFig. 1 the main or rear section of the top covers the rear endof thevehicle and forms a hood thereover. In order to also protect the forwardor front portion of the vehicle I construct the top with an auxiliary orfront section which consists of .rods 11 pivotally secured at 12 to theopposite side members of the main bow 4 and in turn have their free endspivotally connected at 13 with the free ends of a front how 14 whichextends in a substantially horizontal plane over the front portion ofthe body when the top is in its extended position. The rods 11 and bow14 are of such dimensions as to extend substantially to a point overthefront end of the body in the operative position of the top is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 and the cover 10 is extended beyond the bow 4 rand is secured to the bow 14 at the front so as to form a projectinghood over the front portion of the body. An additional bow 15 has itsopposite free ends pivotally connected at 16 with the rods 11 and isalso secured to the cover 1? for supporting same at a point between thebows 4 and 14 when in an extended position. In order to rigidly Imaintain the auxiliary section in operative or extended position and toprevent break- 5 ing-of the ioints at the pivots 13 I provide links 17and 18 which have one end pivotally connected at 19 and 20 with the sidei members of the how 14 and the rods 11 respectively and their oppositeends pivotally connected at 21 with the one end of braces 22. hosebraces 22 are each pivotally connected at 23 with the sides of the mainbow v 4, the said pivots 23 being located at points with them the entireauxiliary sci-lion and intermediate of the ends of the braces 22, andpreferably nearer to the rear ends thereof. These rear ends of saidbraces 22 are in turn pivotally secured at 22 to the one are pivotallyattached at 25 to projections or lugs 26 rigidly secured to the sidemembers of the additional bow 6 as shown best in Fig. 1. It will thus beseen that with this construction the links 17 and 18 extend from thebraces 22 to the how 14 and rods 11 to opposite sides of the pivots 13and owing to the fact that the braces 22 are rigidly held against arocking movement about the pivots 23 by means of the links 24 serve toprevent any swinging movement of the bow 14 about the pivots 13 andanypivotal movement of the rods 11 about the pivots 12 so that a breakingof the joints between said bow 14 and'the rods 11 is absolutelyprevented. At the same time it will be noted that the pivots 13 arelocated about midway between the front end of the how 14 and the rearends of the rods 11 and that the connections between said bow 14 androds 11 with the braces 22 are similarly located. the braces 22 beinglong enough to provide for this arrangement. Thus the auxiliary sectionwhich forms a hood over the front portion of the vehicle is suspendedfrom substantially central points and is consequently rigidly and firmlysupported without the necessity for any braces from said auxiliarysection to the body of the car.

It is. of course. to be understood that the rear portion of the cover 10which extends from the rear end of the vehicle to the how (3 willcounteract or resist any tendency of the aid how 6 or the main how 4 toswing on their respective pivots toward the front of the vehicle whenthe auxiliary section is in its extended position and that the links 17and 18. the braces 22 and the links 24 eonse-piently comprise a securemeans for rigidly supporting said auxiliary section of the top inoperative position. If through atmospheric or other conditions the cover10 should stretch. and tend to sax this tendency would be overcome inthe following manner without permitting the auxiliary section of the topto drop or sag. Any stretching of that portion of the cover 10 locatedbetween the main how 4 and the rear end of the vehicle will allow themain bow to swing downwardly toward the front end of the vehicle andwill thus move the pivots 23 in the arc of a circle in the samedirection. This action would cause av downward pull to be exerted on thelinks 24- which movement will be communicated to the, braces 22 and willswing them about their pivots 23 in a direction to raise the front upperends of said braces 22 and con sequently lift the how 14 and rods 11 andthus overcome the dropping or sagging movement thereof occasioned by thefor ward swinging of the main how 4. It will he understood that owing tothe fact that end of links 24 the opposite ends of which the projectionsor lugs 26 are located in close proximity to the pivots 8 of the bows Gthat these points are substantially sta tionarv and will not bematerially affected by any movement of said bows (i brought about by thestretching of the cover 10. Similarly on account of being located closeto the pivots 5 the said lugs will be unaffected to any material degreeby a movement of the how 4 as described. The said links 17 and 18,braces 22 and links 24 thus in addition to acting as supports for theauxiliary section of the top also serve to act as a means-forcompensating for any stretch or sagof the cover in the main section ofsaid top. If a stretching occurs in that portion of the cover locatedbetween the bows 4 and 14 this will be taken up by the bow-13 which willsimply swing on its pivots 1G and maintain this portion of said cover ina taut condition. If the cover 10 shrinks from any cause a reverseaction of the pa rts from that described will take place so that nomatter what physical changes may take place in the cover the auxiliarysection of the top will always be in substantiallv the same positionwhen in its extended condition. It will be seen that with my improvedconstruction there are no braces to interfere with ingress to or egressfrom the'body of the vehicle through the doors 2 and 3 and that thevision of the occupants is not obstructed while all parts of the Vehicleoccupied by said occupants is completely protected.

It is. of course. to be understood that the usual straps or other stays27 extending from the front of the top to the body to secure the saidtop against accidental collapse for instance through the force exertedby the wind may be utilized in the usual manner if desired. When the topis to be 7 folded out of the way these straps or stays 27. if used. arefirst disconnected after which the main how 4 is swung downwardly toward the'rear on its pivots 5. and the additional bows 6 and 7 swung ontheir pivots S and 9 in a direction toward the main how so that theseadditional bows 6 and 7 in their folded condition lay against andbeneath the said main bow 4 as shown in Fig. 2. This rearward anddownward movement of the main how 4 and the swinging movement of the how6 toward said how 4. will cause a pushing action to be exerted on thelinks 24 and consequently swing the braces 22 on their pivots 23 in adirection to cause the forward ends thereof to swing downwardl andtoward the how 4. This operation will thus also cause the rods 11 toswing on their "while the power is raising the platform, and

-,means for releasing the brake so as to permit the last named gear toturn.

2. The oombination with a platform, and a source of power for raisingit, of a connectionbetween the power and the platform consisting of aplanetary gearing having movable central and revolving gears. and abrake.associat ed with one of the central gears and provided with meansby which such bear may be held stationary or be per- 'mitted to slip.

3. A detached and independentl v movable frame, a platform supported inand guided by said frame and upon which paper may be piled; a motorcarried on said frame, connections from. said motor to said plat formfor raising the latter, a planetary gearing involving a fixed and amovable gear in said connections and forming a part thereof, a shaft;secured to the movable gear and forming another part of said connection,a brake by which the fixed gear is held in position, and means by whichsaid brake may be released to permit the fixed gear to become a movablegear so that the platform may descend without operation of the motor.

-4. A detached and independently movable frame, a platform supported inand guided by said frameandmpon which paper maybe piled, an electricmotor carried on Said frame, connections from the motor to i theplatform for raising the latter. electrical devices automaticallycontrolled by the height of-the pile ofpaper for starting and stoppingthe motor, adjpstable devices for offsetting the top of the pile ofpaper any desired'amonnt, and an anti-frietion roller between the top ofthe pile of paper and the i electrical device.

5. In a detached and independently mov able device of the characterdescribed, the combination with a, frame, a platform upon which paper isto be piled, a motor carried by the frame, connections from the motor tothe platform for raising it. and automatically operating means forcontrolling the operation of the motor by the height of the pile ofpaper on the platform, of a shaft and wheels for offsetting the top ofthe pile of paper, connections for driving said shaft; from anintermediate point in the connections between the motor and theplatform, and means by which said shaft may be shifted sons to vary theamount of offset given to the top of the pile of paper.

(E. The combination with a frame work, a platform guided thereby andupon which paper may be piled, and a motor, of an automatically closingcircuit closer supported on said frame above the pile of paper to belifted and adapted to be opened when contacted by the top of the pile ofpaper when lifted, electrical devices associated with the circuit closerfor starting and stopping the motor, and a nest of planetary gearing andconnections between the motor and the platform for lifting the same,Said planetary gearing automatically serving to prevent the downwardmovement of the platform.

7. The combination with a platform a motor and connections for raisingsaid platform, and a planetary gearing having central gears of differentsizes in the connections between the motor and the platform, of a brakeassociated with the smaller of the central gears in theplanetarygearing, said brake being"arranged to either hold such smallergear in a fixed position or to permit it to slip in lowering theplatform.

The combination with a platform. a motor and connections for raisingsaid platform. and a planetary gearing having central gears of differentsizes in the connections between the motor and the platform, of means bywhich one of the central gears in the planetary gearing is held in afixed position during the elevating process' and is released to permitthe platform to descend. and a brake for controlling the rate at whichthe platform descends.

Signed at hicago, Ill. this 13th day of Feb. 1909.

C LA R E NC E E CTEERE.

